Prince and Me Flashbacks
by Cara223
Summary: Ever wondered how Eddie and Paige's love story developed? Ever wondered what was going on through Paige's head? Ever wondered what else happened besides what the movie showed? With Prince and Me Flashbacks, you will see a collection of flashback stories that shows how their relationship grew. These flashbacks will also be featured throughout in my series (Prince and Me Part 3).


**Please note: There are some sentences in here that are direct lines from the movie. I do not own the rights to the movie. All credit for those sentences goes to the writers of the movie.**

"Thank you so much for inviting me to spend Thanksgiving with you and your family," Eddie said as we got in the car to begin our journey back to my house.

"Of course. I don't want you spending Thanksgiving alone on campus," I responded shutting the car trunk. Eddie went to the side of the car and held open the car door for me. I couldn't help but smile.

"Thanks," I said getting into the car. Eddie walked around to the other side and got into the backseat with me.

"Thanks for taking us Billy," I said. Billy was a classmate who also lived in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. I didn't really know him that well, but he had offered to take me and Eddie back home if we helped pay for gas, which we had no problem doing so!

"Well, I was going this way anyway," he said starting up the car and turning on music. Eddie and I turned and smiled at each other.

After we hit the interstate, the conversation in the car fell quiet. Billy was humming along to his music, he had his girlfriend up in the front seat and Eddie and I were in the back.

"So," Eddie began, not sure what to say.

"What?" I said turning to him.

"Does your family know that I'm coming?" he asked me.

"Um...not quite..." I began.

"Is it okay that I'm coming?" Eddie asked and appeared to be worried. "I don't want to intrude."

"Yes, it's completely fine," I said reassuring him. "My parents always tell me to bring home any friends who have to stay on campus for Thanksgiving break. They welcome guests," I said smiling.

"Okay," he said, relaxing slightly. "Tell me about your family," he said.

"Well, I have my two brothers Mikey and Johnny. Mikey is two and a half years younger than me, and Johnny is my baby brother. He's still in high school. You already know that we live on a farm, and we have two family dogs- Spunky the black Labrador and Fresca the white spaniel."

"Jonny and Mikey," Eddie said repeating their names. "I'm honestly kind of nervous about meeting them," he confided in me.

"Don't worry about it. They'll love you," I said.

"Are you taking him to meet your parents?" Billy asked me.

"Yes," Eddie said.

"How long have you two been together?" his girlfriend asked us.

"Oh no! It's not like that. We're just friends," I said quickly.

The truth was I was _really_ nervous about bringing Eddie since I was afraid that everyone would think we were together. And that wasn't the case. Eddie and I had shared a drunken kiss one night, but I insisted that it was just a drunken mistake. A few days later, Eddie had told me that he genuinely liked me and wanted to take me out on a date. I turned him down, explaining that I didn't want to get involved with anyone. I needed to focus on getting into medical school next fall, and I didn't want any distractions. Besides, I didn't like Eddie. Or did I? He was obviously very good looking, and I felt an attraction to him. However, I fought that attraction with all my might even though he had these beautiful blue eyes, blond hair, and this sexy accent and smile. I looked away from Eddie and looked out my side of the window. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to bring him home with me. Maybe _I_ needed space from him to get over my little...or big...crush on him. I scolded myself and brought myself back to reality. A relationship between us wouldn't work out anyway. What would happen when we graduated, and he went back to Denmark and I went to medical school? It would be best to never begin any relationship and simply remain as friends.

"So, tell me about your family in Denmark," I said turning to him again. "You never really mention them."

Eddie hesitated for a second as though he was trying to collect his thoughts. Why was his family such a secret?

"Well, I have my parents and my little sister, Arabella," he said.

"How old is your little sister?" I asked him.

"She's 12," he replied. "I miss her a lot this semester. I try to FaceTime her a lot, but it's not the same."

"I'm sure she misses you too," I said smiling at him.

"How did you learn English?" I asked him. "Did your parents teach it to you or was it something taught in schools?"

"The majority of Danes are actually bilingual and speak English. My parents spoke to me in English a lot, and they hired a private English tutor as well when I was a child," he explained.

"What do your parents do?" I asked.

Eddie hesitated before replying. What was with his family? Were they like part of the mafia or something?

"My mother was a stay-at-home mom, and my dad works for the government," he replied not giving much detail.

As much as I wanted to press him, I didn't. He'd open up to me in due time.

"If I ever go to Denmark one day, you'll have to show me around," I said trying to break the awkward tension that suddenly filled the space between us.

"I'd like that very much," Eddie said sincerely, smiling at me, causing my heart to flutter. I wanted to learn forward and kiss him in the worst way.

Stop it, Paige! I scolded myself. I had blamed my actions that one night on being drunk (I was the one who went and kissed him) but maybe I was more aware of my actions than I realized...

We arrived at home, and my heart sped up a little bit. This was going to be the moment of truth.

"Are you ready?" I asked Eddie.

"Now, you're making me nervous," he said, laughing.

"Sorry! Don't be," I said gently putting my hand on his arm. He looked at me surprised, and I slowly moved my hand back to my lap. Even just touching his arm made me feel all tingly. I shouldn't have brought him home. I had too big a crush on him. We pulled up, and Eddie got out of the car to open my door. Gosh, he was such a gentleman. As I got out of the car, my parents came out of the house. My face lit up, and I went running to great them.

"Mom!" I said running to hug her. "Dad!" I exclaimed giving him a hug as well. "Mom, dad, this is Eddie. Eddie's an exchange student from Denmark. He's just a friend," I explained, introducing them. I wanted to get the introductions over quickly as well as establish that he was just a friend.

"Hello," Eddie said extending his hand.

"It's very nice to meet you. We're happy that you could join us. The only college friends of Paige's that we have met have all been girls!" My mother exclaimed.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at that last part. Of course my parents would mention that I never brought home any guy friends before from college.

"Well thank you. I am glad to be invited," Eddie said shaking my mom's hand.

"Eddie, Ben Morgan," my dad said shaking his hand.

"Hello Ben," Eddie said shaking it his hand.

I breathed a sigh of relief. At least those introductions were over and they went well.

"Hey hey Doc Paige!" My brother Johnny exclaimed coming over with Mikey from the barn.

"Farmer John and Mikey!" I exclaimed running over to greet them as they walked over from the barn.

"Mike, you look great!" I exclaimed, noticing that he lost weight.

"I've been doing slimfast...so you know..." Mike began.

"And he put 5 pounds back on today!" Johnny exclaimed!

"Boys," my mother interrupted and pointed to Eddie.

"Who's this guy?" Johnny said.

"This is Eddie. He's an exchange student from Denmark. He's just a friend," I explained, emphasizing the friend part.

"Welcome to our home," Mike said loudly and slowly, shaking Eddie's hand.

"Thank you," Eddie said smiling.

"Mike, he speaks better English that you do," I said hitting him playfully.

"Well, we are going to get back to work. Hey, we are watching you Frenchie," Johnny said pointing to Eddie and walking away with Mikey.

"Let's go inside," my mother said walking inside.

"You can ignore the moron twins," I told him, gently squeezing his arm before we walked inside.

I showed Eddie around the house, and then we went up to my room.

"This is it," I said as we entered. Eddie put my bags down by my bed. I began unpacking as Eddie began walking around my room. I closed my door slightly so we could have some privacy. It was an automatic reaction. Maybe I did really like him.

"What are all the pins for?" Eddie asked, walking over to the map on my wall.

"The green ones are where I have been and the red ones are where I want to go," I stated.

"Ecuador, El Salvador...not exactly tourist destinations, are they?" he asked me, confused.

"No, but that's where Doctor's Without Borders goes to provide medical care and clean water," I explained as Eddie looked at me slightly confused. "What?" I asked.

"Nothing. I've never met anyone as intimidating as you," he explained to me.

"Look at me," I said standing up straight. "I'm not intimidating."

"That's honestly pretty intimidating to me," he told me.

"Well, I'm not the only with goals. What do you want to do?" I asked him.

"I have no choice. I have to take over the family business," he said, obviously careful with his choice of words.

"No choice at all?" I asked, confused sitting down on my bed.

"Yes," Eddie replied, sitting down on my favorite childhood stuffed animal.

"Careful! You're crushing Gus," I exclaimed, taking the stuffed animal.

"Gus?" he asked, confused.

"Yes, he's a very good watch Moose. Not once was I attacked by a monster in my closet or under the bed," I said. "Isn't that right Gus?"

"Yes, that's right," I said, using Gus' voice.

"Hello Gus," Eddie said shaking his paw. "Very nice to meet you."

"Very pleased to make your acquaintance as well," I said, using Gus' voice again.

"I like you like this," he said, looking at me.

"Like what?" I asked.

"Just this. Just Paige," he told me looking into my eyes.

We sat there and made eye contact for a few moments until my dad came into my room, ruining the moment. Eddie practically jumped up when he came in.

"Eddie, we have you all made up in Johnny's room. We sleep with the door open at night," he explained.

"Thanks, dad," I said giving my dad "a look." What part of we are just friends did he not understand? I was dying from embarrassment. Eddie left with his bags and offered to help out at the farm tomorrow. I laid back down on my bed in frustration and in embarrassment. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to bring Eddie with me.

Before I knew it, it was Thanksgiving Day. My entire family sat down to eat, and we all went around to express what we were thankful for. Eddie said that he was thankful for his new American friends. His words melted my mom's heart, and they melted mine as well. He was so sweet.

"So, Eddie, what's up between you and my sister?" Johnny asked.

"Johnny!" I scolded, putting down my wine class.

"Look, Paige, someone had to ask," Mikey replied.

"Yeah, Paige, he's too good looking," Johnny said.

"Yeah," Mikey agreed.

"That's right, I said it. You're too good looking," Johnny told Eddie.

I put my hand in my head, hiding my face from embarrassment.

"I'm not that good-looking," Eddie replied.

"Yeah, he's pretty good looking," Mikey said to Johnny.

"You're pretty good-looking," my mother and aunt chimed in.

"Guys!" I exclaimed.

"You combine that with the accent and your little Euro charm; you're a lethal combination," Mikey said to Eddie.

"Will everyone just stop, please!" I exclaimed firmly, glaring at my brothers. I just wanted to go underneath the table and hide. I should I never brought Eddie back home. I could feel how hot my cheeks were from my blushing.

"Come on, Paige, we don't know anyone from Denmark. We've never heard of anyone from Denmark. Have you?" Johnny asked.

"Yeah sure," I said cutting my turkey.

My brothers were waiting for my answer, confident that I wouldn't be able to think of anyone. Finally, I asked Eddie for help. He named some historically famous people like Hans Christian Anderson, but my brothers weren't impressed. I heard them mumbling to each other about the people since they never heard of them. In desperation, Eddie mentioned Lars Ulrich from Metallica and Helena Christensen, the Victoria Secret model. Then, my brothers were impressed and commented that Denmark should be a super power, which caused us all to laugh.

After dinner, I washed the dishes, Eddie volunteered to dry and the Johnny and Mikey, aka the moron twins, volunteered to put the clean dishes away and the left overs in the fridge.

"I'm sorry about my family giving you a hard time," I told Eddie, handing him another plate to dry.

"It's okay," he told me, smiling.

After we finished cleaning up, we played card and board games as a family and then took a walk together. My parents retired early, my brothers wanted to watch a late night football game. Eddie was going to join them, but I said that I was going to watch a movie on my laptop. After hearing my decision, Eddie decided to join me. We went up to my room, and I sat down on my bed. At first, Eddie seemed unsure where to join me. I motioned for him to join me on my bed. I leaned up against the headboard, and he joined me on the other side.

"Are you sure your parents won't mind?" he asked me.

"The door is 1/4 open, and we are on top of my bed. We aren't in it," I said laughing.

Eddie seemed to relax slightly and leaned his back up against the headboard.

"So, what movie do you want to watch?" I asked, logging into Netflix.

"Whatever you want to watch," he told me.

"I need a little help. Otherwise, I'll spend forever picking out a movie," I said laughing. I began scrolling through some titles and came across _The Santa Clause_ with Tim Allen.

"How about this movie?" I asked.

"I've never seen it, but it sounds good to me," Eddie replied.

"You've NEVER seen it!?" I exclaimed. "Then, we are watching it," I said loading it up on my laptop.

As we got comfortable on my bed, Eddie was pretty close to me, but he made sure he wasn't touching me. However, it was close enough to make me nervous and feel butterflies in my stomach.

We finished the movie, and I logged out of Netflix.

"It's getting late," I commented. "I should probably shower. I'll get you some towels," I said starting to get up.

"Paige," Eddie said gently touching my arm.

"Yes?" I asked sitting back down.

"Spending Thanksgiving with your family was incredible. Thank you so much for inviting me and allowing me to experience this American holiday in the most genuine way possible," he said sincerely.

"You're very welcome," I said smiling. "I was happy to have had you here with me." My heart was beginning to race slightly. Eddie was slowly inching himself closer to me.

"When your father asked us what we were thankful for this year, I didn't have the courage then to mention that I am thankful for knowing you and for your friendship," he told me. "You have made my stay here in the United States so much more pleasant. Thank you," he said getting slightly closer to me. My heart was pounding, I was making eye-contact with him, and I wasn't sure what to say or what to do.

"I'm thankful for your friendship as well," I said quietly, looking into his eyes and trying to figure out where he was going with this speech.

"Paige," he whispered, putting his hand on top of my hand. "I wanted to let you know that I genuinely care for you," he said speaking in a normal tone. "I don't expect you to return these feelings, but I just thought you had the right to know how I felt. I overheard you talking to Beth that you'll probably end up alone one day. That's so far from the truth. _Any_ guy would be _so incredibly_ lucky to call you his girl," he said emphasizing the words "any" and "incredibly." "You're an amazing woman, a determined woman. I admire you so much, and I lo...I really really like you," he told me, stopping himself from saying "love."

My heart practically stopped. Was he about to tell me that he loved me? I had NO idea what to do or what to say to him. I shouldn't have brought him home. He got the wrong idea about my intentions. I began to panic, but Eddie continued to speak.

"I don't expect you to return my feelings or say anything. I just wanted to let you know how I felt. You deserved to know," he said taking my hand, bringing it up to his lips and kissing it gently.

My heart about stopped from the touch of his lips on my hand. I was so confused. Did I like him too? I knew I did, but I kept on convincing myself otherwise...

Eddie got up and began to walk to the door. I couldn't let him walk out the door like that after he completely opened up his heart and shared his deepest emotions.

"Eddie, wait," I said as he stopped and turned around.

I got up and walked over to him.

"I honestly don't know what to say," I told him as I approached him.

"You don't have to say anything," he told me. "Just tell me this- do you feel anything for me?" he asked.

My heart was racing as I prepared my answer. Of course, I had feelings for him...very strong feelings for him. Should I tell him? Maybe it was just better to deny it so when we went our separate ways, it wouldn't be so heartbreaking.

"I think you ate too much turkey and drank too much wine," I said trying to make a joke of it.

Eddie's face fell, and he seemed disappointed and slightly hurt.

"I'm completely sober. I've had these feelings for quite some time. You have captivated me with your charm, your wit, your knowledge, and your desire to make a difference in this world. I thought tonight was a good night to tell you exactly how I felt," he said taking my hand.

"I just think we are better off as friends," I replied. "A relationship between us wouldn't work. We would always be avoiding the inevitable. What happens when you go back to Denmark? Or when I graduate?" I asked.

His eyes lit up light a Christmas Tree. In those two questions, I realized that I had revealed my feelings for him.

"So, you do have feelings for me," he stated, inching slightly closer.

I searched his eyes, not knowing what to say or what to do. I couldn't believe that I had let my guard down and revealed my feelings with those two questions.

"Yes, I do," I finally admitted with my heart pounding in my chest.

"That's good because I do too. Now, I don't feel like a complete idiot," he said smiling and laughing.

"You should never feel ashamed about admitting your feelings for someone. What you said touched me and was really brave," I replied. "I'm just afraid of getting involved right now."

"Why?" he asked me, inching slightly closer to me.

"I need to focus on medical school applications and medical school. I don't want to complicate any of that," I confided in him.

Eddie moved his face closer into mine. Our noses were almost touching, and I could feel his breath on my face. My head was spinning. What was happening? I had my entire future ahead of me. I didn't want to make the same mistake that my mother did- she gave up her dream of being a doctor to get married and raise me and my brothers. I wasn't going to fall for him even more and give up on my dreams.

"I would never ask you to give up any of that. I care for you just the way you are," he told me. "I'll go wherever you go," he whispered to me, cupping my chin and drawing me closer to his lips. Our noses touched, and the feeling was electric. I could feel the sparks between us.

Finally, I surrendered my feelings and let down my guard. I was crazy about him, and he was obviously very crazy about me too. I closed my eyes and waited for the touch of his lips against mine.

His lips gently brushed up against mine, teasing me and causing me to go weak in the knees. He was obviously hesitating and nervous about kissing me. I wondered why. Then, Eddie became more confident and put his arm around my back and pulled me in closer to kiss me. My heart was racing so fast I thought it would pop out of my chest. I wondered if he could feel how fast my pulse was at this very moment.

"Hey Paige," I heard Johnny say coming up the stairs. Eddie and I jumped a part right before Johnny came in the room.

"Oh Eddie! I was looking for you!" Johnny exclaimed. "I was wanting to let you know that I was hitting the hay," he said. He and Eddie shared a room so I guess he felt the need to tell him that it was bedtime.

Then he stopped and looked at us.

"Did I interrupt something?" he asked us.

"No, not at all. I was just getting clean towels for Eddie," I said leaving my room and going to get the clean towels from the linen closet.

My head was spinning. What in the world just happened? Why did I open myself up and admit my feelings? What would happen now?

Eddie came over to me as I handed him a towel and a hand towel. We made eye contact as I handed it to him. I wanted to continue our conversation, and I wanted him to kiss me.

"What's going on here?" Johnny asked in hallway, noticing the awkwardness between our towel exchange.

"Nothing," I said giving Eddie a pat on the arm. "Good-night. I'll see you tomorrow," I said.

"Good night," he mumbled in return.

I went back to my room, closed the door behind me and laid down on my bed. What in the world just happened? My heart was still racing, and I couldn't shake the feeling I felt when his lips brushed up against mine so gently. I went to the downstairs shower to take a shower and to try to shake these feelings. Whenever I closed my eyes, I saw his face. I kept on replaying our conversation over and over. Was Eddie in love with me? Was I in love with him? I sighed, stopped the water and returned to my bedroom. I tried to sleep, but I ended up tossing and turning most of the night. What would happen tomorrow? Would it be awkward between us? Would he kiss me? Would he act as though nothing happened?

When it was dawn, I went ahead and got up after a sleepless night. The cows needed to be milked, and I needed to shovel the manure and clean the stables. It would give me some time to think and process what happened last night. Too bad my family didn't go out shopping on Black Friday. That would have given me the perfect excuse to get out of the house. Soon, my brothers, dad, and even Eddie joined me outside.

When I saw Eddie come over to the stables, my heart stopped. I wanted him to kiss me, to hold me, and to proclaim his love for me again. I had realized that I did have strong feelings for him. Why couldn't I pursue both being a doctor and having a relationship?

"Good morning," Eddie said smiling at me, getting a shovel.

"Good morning," I said smiling back at him.

I went over to him to help him clean Betsy, the horse's, stable.

"So, can you tell me more about this lawn mower race today?" he asked.

My heart sunk. He was acting as though last night didn't happen. Did he regret revealing his feelings to me?

"Well, you race against the other contestants, and you are all in lawn mowers. You race around on a track in a circle," I explained.

"I'm going to do it. I've been working with your brothers to make their lawn mowers faster, and we fixed up the older one for me to race," he told me.

"Really?" I asked, surprised.

"Yes," he replied. "I don't know why you are so surprised. I have proved myself this week that I am not so inept as you have thought," he said smiling at me.

"I never thought that," I said, getting defensive.

"I know you did, especially when you taught me how to use the slicer at work and how to do laundry," he told me, laughing.

"Oh yeah. I did think you were kind of incompetent when it came to everyday things," I said squeezing his arm slightly to tease him. I wanted to let him know that I was interested in him.

"What's the prize if you win?" he asked.

"A jar full of marbles," I replied.

He approached me and got closer.

"Then I shall win all the marbles for you," he whispered into my ear, sending shivers down my spine.

He didn't forget about our conversation from last night, and he wasn't going to give up on his quest to win me over.

"I'd like that very much," I said looking up at him, smiling.

I looked up and saw Mikey and Johnny staring at us. By now, they had to sense that there was something going on between us...even though I wasn't exactly sure what that was yet.

Later that afternoon, my mom and I arrived at the race. My dad, Eddie and my brothers had already arrived early to set up and register. Plus, they had to bring over their lawn mowers. We were walking to our seats, and we passed by Eddie. I made a face at their rival, Keith, and then I smiled and waved at Eddie. Eddie's face lit up, and he waved back at me. My dad saw our exchange, and he patted Eddie on the back and winked at me. Did he know too that Eddie and I had feelings for each other?

My mother and I went up to the bleachers and found a good seat. Once we got situated, my mother immediately brought up Eddie.

"Your brothers seem to like him," she told me.

"Mom," I said in a tone that said I didn't want to have this conversation right now.

"I like him too," she told me, looking over at him and my brothers.

"Yeah, I get that," I said quickly. "I really can't afford any distractions right now," I said avoiding eye contact with my mother. I hadn't told her about what happened last night between me and Eddie and I wasn't planning on it either. I was still trying to process it all myself.

"Chemistry just isn't in a class, kiddo. And you guys have it," she told me. I know she meant well, but I felt she was trying to persuade me to get into a relationship with Eddie.

"Right. And then what happens? I fool myself into thinking he's Prince Charming? We get married and live happily ever after? Then all my hard work goes down the drain because I'm too busy shopping for groceries and picking up my kids at soccer," I explained to my mom. Also, I was trying to justify the reasons to myself as to why a relationship with Eddie would never work out. I had too many goals, and I needed to focus on achieving my goals.

"Sweetie, it wasn't really as bad as all that," my mother told me gently.

"I didn't mean it that way," I said in a apologetic way. My mother had decided not to become a doctor to get married and take care of me and my two brothers. It was her choice, and I didn't mean to criticize it. However, at the same time, I didn't want to make the same choice that she did all those years ago.

"I know," she said quietly. "But we aren't talking about me. I made my choice. This is about you making the right choice for you," she told me.

I turned to her and nodded to show that I understood.

"Do you like him? Could you see a future with him?" my mother asked me.

I blushed, smiled and looked down at my drink.

"I..." I began completely unsure how to answer this.

"Oh my gosh! You really like him!" my mother exclaimed.

"Yes, I do. If he wasn't here with me on break, I would have really missed him," I confessed. "He's all I think about, he's the only person I want to be with all the time, and I really enjoy his company," I finally confessed to my mother. "I keep on trying to convince myself that I don't like him and that I'm not attracted to him, but it keeps on making the feelings stronger. I don't know how to stop them. I don't want any distractions right now," I said looking at my mother, showing my frustration and inner battle with my feelings.

"It sounds like you're in love," she told me, smiling at me.

I froze in place and found Eddie on the track field. It so happened that he was looking my way as well, and we made eye contact. He smiled at waved at me, which made my heart flutter. I smiled and waved back at him and then turned back to my mother.

"I don't want to be in love with him," I said quietly. "I need to focus on my med school applications, and I need to look towards the future-"

"Paige," my mother said cutting me off. "You are so focused on the future that you forget to live in the present. Maybe Eddie was sent your way to remind you of that. Live in the present. Does Eddie feel the same way about you?" My mother asked.

"I don't know; I think so," I lied, not wanting to go into the details of our conversation from last night.

"Has ever said anything or-"

"He's hinted at it," I said quickly.

"Then tell him how you feel," she told me.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"When you feel that the time is right, tell him how you feel. He deserves to know," she told me.

I had to refrain myself from rolling my eyes. That was exactly what Eddie told me last night- that I deserved to know how he felt.

I ran my fingers through my hair and sighed in frustration. Why was love such a complicated matter?


End file.
